Old European Medieval Wooden Musician Statue

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by Silver Wolf, Sep 2, 2019.

  1. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    hello guys,this is another result of my picking.Can someone help to identified this wooden statue.i guess it's a german made of late 19th or early 20th century?give me your best guess guys!i'll appreciated it,thank you!

    20190827-141-3.jpg 20190827-142-3.jpg 20190827-143-3.jpg
     
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  2. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It is European folk art. He could be a musician figurine to go with a Nativity set, which is what Roman Catholics display during the Christmas period to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

    It looks like he is holding a double chanter bagpipe without blowpipe or bellows to get air into the bag.:confused:
    The conical hat could be Spanish, and Spain has a lot of bagpipes with double chanters, the flute-like things he is holding. As far as I know Spanish bagpipes have blowpipes for air.
    I am not saying he is Spanish, just thinking aloud.:playful:

    Spanish costume from Salamanca, the man is wearing a conical hat and knee-breeches:
    [​IMG]

    Nativity set from Provence, France. The actual Christmas scene with the Holy Family and an angel are at the back, the other figurines all represent country people:
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2019
  3. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    JMHO. Gaita gallega from Galicia.
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    I think a figurine for a Spanish belén or nativity scene is certainly possible. You don't give the dimensions of yours --- and looks larger than most -- but belenes do come in all sizes. Or could just be a decorative figurine. The gaita as noted above is an instrument of Northern Spain so could be a Camino de Santiago souvenir. Given quality of carving, new-ish I'd think but not new-new because, like the one below, they're mainly made from resin these days.

    Debora

    Unknown.jpg
     
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  5. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    it size is 31cm or 12inch height,and this one is made from wood,kind of light wood i think in weight

    i don't know but this one doesn't look like from nativity set,the shoes is a difference,he uses the kind of boots that only appear in medieval times,so i think this is just another medieval musician statue?:bookworm::bookworm:
     
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  6. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    There are all kinds of belenes and figures may be dressed in any manner of ways. They're typically a bit more lifelike, however, so I suspect yours is just a souvenir figurine from Northern Spain.

    Debora
     
  7. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    hey debora thanks,what about the date?
     
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  8. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    At a guess... 1960s on but closer to now rather than closer to then.

    Debora
     
  9. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    thanks :rolleyes:
     
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  10. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It is my fault everyone started looking to Spain, because of the conical hat from Salamanca. It seems I have sent everyone to Spanish regions other than Salamanca, for which I apologize.

    But about a possible Galician (or Asturian, Portuguese, etc) gaita:
    It doesn't look like any of the Galician gaita types, they all have blowpipes, drone-pipe(s) over the shoulder and one to the side, and as far as I know a single chanter:
    [​IMG]
    But then there seems to be no way to get wind in that bag, since I can't see bellows either.
    There are European bagpipes without shoulder drones, mostly in Eastern Europe.

    The hat doesn't strike me as Galician, they have wide-brimmed hats and mostly these hats:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Bagpipes were found in many parts of the Iberian peninsula, especially the north, including Catalunia, and even on the islands. So if you think the figurine is Spanish there is no reason to restrict the search to Galicia, just because to outsiders it is the most famous Spanish bagpipe region. People acquainted with Sapnish folk music or bagpipes know there are many possibilities.
    And as I said, it was only the hat that made me think of Salamanca, which happens to be in Spain.

    The complete picture of this figurine includes a conical hat, knee breeches, and a similar bagpipe. Just focusing on a very different looking Galician gaita means excluding any other possibilities imo.

    To complicate matters, it could come from one of the many other Continental European bagpipe regions, as long as there is a similar costume.

    I can tell you one thing, it is not one of ours ;):

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2019
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  11. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    @Any Jewelry do you have any other places suggested outside of iberian penisula then?
     
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  12. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    OlomucIsabella.jpg

    i think this one is closer to mine :rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
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  13. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It is Continental Europe, but not the Balkans (great bagpipes, but different).
    Italy maybe?

    It is best not to look at Medieval pictures, because the shape of most bagpipes evolved over the centuries.The costume is later than the Middle Ages.
    The bagpipes from the southern Netherlands and Belgium still look pretty much the same as on Breughel paintings. But Breughel was after the Middle Ages, and pipes in some other parts of Europe evolved over a longer period of time.
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2019
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  14. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    A piper seems to be quite a stock figure for Italian Nativity sets. Young, old, simple flute to full on bagpipes. This one is plastic & Italian:

    [​IMG]
     
  15. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

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  16. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    He looks Catalan to me. As an aside, I went to a Christmas market in Tarragona a few years back. Literally hundreds of variant of figures, including caganers. I'm rather fond of those.
     
  17. all_fakes

    all_fakes Well-Known Member

    I had to look that one up. :wideyed:
     
  18. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    i'm agree this one definetely not a balkan.so what do you think about the date aj?
    i don't know is this part of nativity sets or not:pompous::pompous:
    so it's still mystery then :hilarious::hilarious:

    now,i wonder why all peoples keep saying spanish or iberian penisula,do this statue really come from there?or it's because aj:hilarious::hilarious: btw i just realize what caganers is,very interesting!:hilarious:
     
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  19. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Yep, all my fault.:sorry::bigtears::bag:

    Just call it southern European, I'm sure that's fine.:)
     
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  20. Silver Wolf

    Silver Wolf Well-Known Member

    hahaha ok aj!thanks
     
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